Soap fans were left appalled this Monday when Sonia Fowler mentioned her late boyfriend Jamie Mitchell during a huge showdown at No.25 with Phil Mitchell. Get the lowdown on him.

Soap regulars called out Sonia Fowler as they begged for her to move on from Jamie Mitchell’s death.

Though she’s usually a favourite among BBC One viewers, the nurse portrayed by Natalie Cassidy has been irking fans of the London-based drama as she stands by her fiancé, Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman), regardless of his misdeeds.

During this Monday’s (August 19, 2024) trip to Albert Square, Sonia’s blind loyalty led her to take a stand against Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) as the Walford baddie showed up at her home, ready to square up to Reiss.

The accountant has been in debt to both Phil and Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) after using their money for his late wife Debbie’s hospital care, making them believe they’d gain double with a fictitious investment scheme.

Jamie Mitchell was Phil’s godson and tragically passed away by Sonia Fowler’s side (Image: BBC)

Phil eventually found out about Reiss’ treachery and was thrown in a blind rage as he shouted the odds outside of No.25, leading a pregnant Sonia to remind him he had once sworn his godson Jamie he would protect her. Viewers were livid after the reminder, taking to X to share their grievances with Sonia. “Love Sonia normally but god she did my head in tonight oh you promised Jamie you would protect me he’s been dead nearly 22 years and you’re nearly 40 times Moves on”, one of them wrote.

Another added: “Jamie really son? What’s wrong with her seriously #EastEnders”, while a third fumed: “Sonia you can’t just use Jamie’s name to guilt trip people he literally died when I was about 4 years old get over it.”

Making his first appearance in the long-running show on November 9, 1998, Jack Ryder took on the role of hunky Jamie Mitchell, Phil’s second cousin. Upon his arrival, following the death of his father Charlie, Jamie was taken in by Phil who’d found out he was being beaten by his uncle and guardian Billy Mitchell on a regular basis.

While his relationship with his son Ben has always been strained at best, Phil finds comfort in the bond he shares with Jamie, whom he soon views as a surrogate son.

After a fleeting romance with Janine Butcher, Jamie embarked on a relationship with Sonia Jackson, his true love in Walford, but the romance was thrown into chaos when she gave birth to her daughter Chloe (later renamed Bex) at only 15 years old – and the father was revealed to be Martin Fowler.

Jamie threw his relationship with Sonia into chaos by sleeping with Janine Butcher and Zoe Slater (Image: BBC)

Their tumultuous relationship, rocked by Sonia’s growing obsession with Chloe, later put up for adoption, and Jamie’s infidelities with Zoe Slater and Janine Butcher, eventually led to an engagement. But with Sonia’s desire for more children adding strain onto their life, they decided to call it quits, remaining firm friends.

Jamie even put his feelings for Sonia above his filial bond with Phil when the latter’s daughter Louise was taken away to Portugal by her mother Lisa. Sonia was able to convince Jamie not to tell his godfather about Lisa’s plans to flee the Square with her daughter, resulting in Jamie being brutally beaten.

Once Sonia had nursed him back to health, it became clear to Jamie she was the only one for him and he popped the question a second with the same ring he’d offered her during his first proposal. Jamie managed to get revenge on Phil for not only beating him, but for also sacking him from The Queen Vic by smashing the boozer’s windows.

Despite this, Jamie would go on to bury the hatchet with Phil in later episodes, after saving his mother Peggy from getting mugged. Proving that his family was a priority, Phil even helped a cash-strapped Sonia and Jamie out of their money woes.

Tragically, however, just as things were starting to look up for Sonia and Jamie – particularly as he’d managed to buy her engagement ring back, after selling it to start their own business – Martin accidentally ran him over outside the Walford tube station.

Jamie was rushed to hospital, where it was confirmed that he would inevitably die of spleen damage. Phil and Billy rushed to his bedside, making peace with the lad and apologising for the abuse they each inflicted on him.

But Jamie was only able to let go with Sonia by his side in tear-jerking scenes aired on Christmas Day in 2002. Since leaving the soap, Jack Ryder has remained active in the spotlight, most notably on stage and on the silver screen.